


we could be heroes (just for one day)

by bioticnerfherder



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Bitter Exes, During Canon, F/F, F/M, Fix-It, Happy Ending, M/M, Multi, Post-Canon, Redemption, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Fix-It, basically extra scenes to add to the movie then some post-canon, maybe some angst?? but i promise there's a happy ending, mostly canon compliant aside from a few changes and some extra scenes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-29
Updated: 2019-12-29
Packaged: 2021-02-27 06:35:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,584
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22022677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bioticnerfherder/pseuds/bioticnerfherder
Summary: TROS SPOILERS!!!!!The trio try to figure out the motives of their unexpected mole, General Hux. Elsewhere, Kylo struggles with a choice.
Relationships: Armitage Hux/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Finn/Rey (Star Wars)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 57





	we could be heroes (just for one day)

**Author's Note:**

> well, it was bound to happen; here's my take on a TROS fix-it. i tried to stay fairly close to what we got in the movie and explain/expand on certain decisions, with the biggest changes being *cough* at the end. most of the deaths that happened in the movie WILL happen in this fic, that is my character death warning. tags will be added as necessary, please let me know if you think i should add any!
> 
> this is unbeta'd; all mistakes are my own. no kylo in this first chapter, but the next chapter is very much about him, i promise.

“Why are you helping us?”

“You wouldn’t understand. Just get out of here, FN-2––”

“My name is _Finn_ ,” he snarled at the general. “And spare me the condescending banthashit. I asked you _why.”_

Hux scowled at him. “Fine. Because––”

Neither of them expected the shot. Hux crumpled and fell, landing on his backside with a grunt of pain.

“Get them!”

Finn whirled around, spotting the trio of stormtroopers heading right for them.

“Finn!” Poe yelled, halfway across the hangar already. “We gotta go, come _on!”_

Chewie roared in what Finn could only assume was agreement.

He shot at the stormtroopers, taking one down before the other two darted behind the bulkhead for cover.

“Requesting back up outside Hangar 10,” one of them said. “We have located the prisoners, they are armed and dangerous. General Hux is with them.”

Finn glanced down at the general, clutching the hole in his thigh. He looked tired, smaller without his greatcoat. He was far removed from the smug man who had tried to strip away Finn’s identity and replace it with the perfect little obedient soldier. The fire in his eyes was gone; Finn could barely reconcile the man in front of him with the man who stood atop Starkiller and ordered its firing. It was obvious that much had happened to him in the past year––a lot had happened to _both_ of them––and whatever it was had broken him enough to betray everything he believed in.

This man didn’t deserve Finn’s pity. Finn should run, get on the _Falcon_ , collect Rey, and finish the mission. Leave Hux here to suffer the consequences of his actions. It’s what Hux would do if the situation was reversed.

But Finn was a better person than Hux.

“I can’t believe I’m doing this,” he muttered to himself. Holstering his blaster, Finn reached for the general’s legs and tossed his torso unceremoniously over his shoulder. The man weighed practically nothing.

“What are you doing?” Hux said.

“Saving your life,” Finn responded as he began to run. “You’re compromised. You’re welcome.”

Hux started wriggling, pounding his hands against Finn’s back. “Put me down this instant, I _demand_ you put me down!”

“You’ll die if I do.” He gripped onto Hux’s thighs tighter, purposefully putting pressure on Hux’s wound. That stopped his complaints long enough for Finn to reach the ramp of the _Falcon_.

“Put me down, you miscreant!”

Finn sprinted up the ramp and dumped Hux onto the floor. “Sure.” He’d be lying if he said he didn’t get a kick out of the little noise of discomfort Hux made as he fell onto his thigh. “BB-8! I need you to keep an eye on him!”

The droid rolled down the hall, beeping happily as it took out its stun barb.

“We’re all on board, Poe, let’s go!” He pulled the manual release lever to raise the boarding ramp. “We have to get Rey from Hangar 12!”

“On it!” Poe yelled from the cockpit.

“No!” Hux cried as he realised the ramp was closing. “What are you doing? I can’t be here!”

He tried to stand, only to be jabbed by BB-8’s barb.

“They saw you help us. You’d be dead if you stayed. A life for a life, General––our debt is cleared.” As the _Falcon_ lifted off, Finn turned to BB-8. “Make sure he doesn’t move a muscle.”

* * *

“What are we gonna do with him?” Finn asked.

“Throw him in jail.”

“Throw him out of the airlock.”

Rey and Poe exchanged glances. Chewie agreed with someone, but Finn wasn’t sure with whom.

“I can hear you, you know,” Hux said. They’d found some stuncuffs and had used them to secure him to the holo-chess table after putting some bacta on his leg; the entire operation had involved a few stun barbs from BB-8.

“We should question him,” Rey said, ignoring his comment. “He _must_ know more about the Sith fleet. About this wayfinder.”

Poe laughed. “And what makes you think he’ll talk?”

“He _did_ help us escape,” Finn said. “He’s our mole, after all. We wouldn’t have known about Exegol without him.”

“There’s another reason,” Poe said. “This is General Armitage Hux we’re talking about. He didn’t help us out of the good of his heart.”

Hux let out a chuckle. The three glanced at him in annoyance––he simply shrugged back.

“I told you,” Poe said. He turned to Hux. “Listen here, you greasy weasel. I don’t know why you helped us, and frankly, I don’t care. But don’t think one good deed clears your name. You better be on your best behaviour if you’re coming with us, because half the people here would rather throw you out of the airlock than let you take another breath.”

“I’m not the one who asked to be here,” Hux said dryly. “You have… _Finn_ to thank for that.”

Finn was taken aback––suddenly he’d bothered to learn his name? Was he trying to make nice all of a sudden? Rey seemed to sense Finn’s surprise. She squeezed his shoulder once, smiled at him, then dropped her hand.

“This better not be some grand scheme or trap or whatever,” Poe said. “We are not here to get involved in games.”

“No grand schemes. Well, not anymore.” Hux sighed. “To be quite honest, I had leaked the information in the hopes that you’d wipe each other out. If I didn’t have to waste my time or resources getting rid of the Sith fleet, I could be around to pick up the pieces afterwards. Start over again, _my_ way. No pesky old crones from a bygone era and no Resistance. Naturally, that plan is now down the garbage chute. Thank you.”

“You would destroy the Order?” Rey asked. “You would destroy everything you’ve worked for, your whole life?”

Hux snorted. “Whatever is going on now? That is _not_ the First Order. Grand Admiral Sloane founded the Order to be _better_ than the Empire. Not to simply _become it_ all over again. We represent order in the chaos of the galaxy. I would die before letting us fall into the hands of the very same man who manipulated the galaxy for _decades_.”

They were all silent for a beat.

“Well, he’s got a point,” Poe commented.

“And what about Kylo Ren?” Finn asked.

“What about him?” Hux snapped, suddenly defensive.

Finn could feel his sudden swell of anger, as if kindling had just caught fire. “I thought you two were joined at the hip. Weren’t you his right hand man or something?”

“Curious,” Rey said. “Finn’s right. But more interestingly, how _did_ you manage to get all of this information to us without him suspecting anything?”

Hux’s expression darkened. Finn could tell there was something underneath it, but he couldn’t see past the deep anger on the surface of Hux’s emotions.

“ _Kriff_ Kylo Ren,” Hux said. He petulantly turned away as much as he could with his hands bound to the table, as if trying to indicate that was the end of the conversation.

“Oh no no no, you don’t get to decide when this conversation ends. Answer the question, Hugs,” Poe insisted.

Hux clenched his jaw, but still said nothing and kept his gaze determinedly away from them.

Rey sighed. She walked around to the other side of the table, trying to be in his direct line of sight as much as possible. “Talk to us.”

“I don’t know what you want me to say. All I know is that he’s gone mad. While the flames of rebellion burned across the galaxy, he spent all his time chasing a ghost.”

“You’re afraid,” she observed.

“I am _not_ ,” Hux hissed.

“Hm. No, you’re right. This is something else. I can feel it,” she said. “But it’s hidden behind this wall of immense anger you’ve surrounded yourself with. Something happened between you to trigger it.” She turned to Finn and Poe. “I can barely sense anything underneath the anger. This must be how he managed to hide his scheming. His mind is too clouded with anger.”

“Well, it makes sense,” Poe reasoned. “Kylo Ren offed the last Supreme Leader and took the title for himself––there was no daddy left to run to when the other messed up. Unless…”

“Don’t finish that sentence,” Finn said.

“Whatever it is,” Rey continued, “we have more important business than quarrels between you and Kylo Ren. What more can you tell us about the Sith fleet? And about Darth Sidious?”

Hux shrugged. “Frankly, not much more. Ren was sparse with the details. And whatever details he _did_ share, it wasn’t with me but w––” He stopped himself, then cleared his throat.

So Kylo Ren had replaced him? Finn wondered if that was the impetus for his betrayal.

“It’s a full fleet,” Hux went on. “I don’t know the exact numbers of neither the ships nor the personnel.”

“ _Bigger_ than the First Order’s fleet?” Finn asked. “How was he able to build such a large fleet in practically no time? It took thirty years for the First Order to become as strong as it is.”

“Because it’s Sheev Palpatine,” Hux said. “Do you really think this has been in the works for only thirty years? The man had an infinite number of contingency plans. You don’t spend so long plotting your rise to power without them. He must have been planning this for _many_ decades.”

Silence washed over them for a moment as that sunk in. Finn hated to admit it, but Hux was right.

“How did he hide for so long?” Finn asked. “How could an operation that large go under everyone’s radar?”

“Because the Unknown Regions are almost impossible to traverse,” Rey said. “Too dangerous. Too many asteroid belts, black holes, gravity wells, dying stars––you name it. There’s a reason it’s still unmapped, and there’s a reason the First Order was also able to hide there for so long. It’s why we need the wayfinder in the first place.”

“Skywalker was after the wayfinder,” Poe thought aloud. “Does that mean he suspected something? Is that why he was trying to get to Exegol?”

Rey pondered the question for a minute. “His journals are vague. He said he could sense a threat from Exegol, but that when the trail went cold he decided his efforts were better focused on preparing the next generation of Jedi.”

Hux snorted. “And look how well _that_ turned out.”

Poe turned back to Hux. “ _You_ don’t get to say things like that. If you have nothing else useful to tell us, I’ll tape up your mouth. Understand?” He didn’t wait for a response. “So, with that in mind, what else can you tell us about the fleet?”

“Not much else. I know they have serious firepower––more so than any of our _Resurgent_ -class destroyers.”

“How serious are we talking?”

The proximity alarm started blaring, indicating they’d be coming out of hyperspace and arriving above Kef Bir soon. Chewie said something and headed for the cockpit.

“On my way,” Rey called out to him. To Hux, she said: “We’re not done yet.”

“I’ve said all I’ve had to say,” Hux huffed.

“You’ll tell us everything.”

Hux laughed sardonically. “What, are you going to pull it out of my head? Like Ren?”

She tensed and stepped towards him, but Finn put a hand on her shoulder to stop her.

“He’s just baiting you,” he said. “We’re better than him, and Kylo Ren, and all of them. The fact that Hux is here and alive, not dead, shows just that.”

Finn held her gaze for a beat before she relaxed. She nodded and followed in Chewie’s footsteps towards the cockpit, Poe on her heels.

“You’re not off the hook yet,” Finn threatened Hux. “Threepio? Keep an eye on him.”

He turned to follow after his friends.

* * *

Finn walked back up the ramp of the _Falcon_ behind Poe, Chewie, and Rey, silently listening to them arguing how to fix the ship. Although he’d tried to start learning _Shyriiwook_ over the past year, he still wasn’t fluent––he left the discussion up to them, content to just help where he was needed. After all, no one knew the _Falcon_ better than Rey or Chewie.

He’d almost forgotten about their captive until he saw Hux sat next to Threepio at the holo-chess table, mid-game.

“Excellent move, sir!” Threepio said, as he moved a piece on Hux’s behalf.

“Hey, hey!” Finn said, storming up to the table and shutting it off. “None of that.”

Hux rolled his eyes and said nothing.

“How rude, Master Finn!” Threepio exclaimed. “Master Hux and I were just passing the time.”

“Do _not_ call him that. He is our _prisoner_.” He turned to Hux. “And don’t think making nice with the droid is gonna get you out of the stuncuffs.”

Threepio glanced between the two of them several times. “ _Humans_. I don’t understand you.”

Finn opened his mouth to respond, but was interrupted by Rey storming determinedly through the corridor.

“Where are you going?” Finn asked.

“Just outside to have a look at the landing gear,” she called over her shoulder.

BB-8 chirped and began rolling after her.

“It’s all right, BB-8,” she said. “You help out Poe and Chewie in here.”

Finn sighed. He was worried about Rey––whatever Kylo Ren had told her had gotten into her head. She was frustrated and scared, as they all were, but as a result she was pushing herself too hard. A part of him wanted to go after her, or to urge BB-8 to go with her so she wasn’t alone, but he also knew that Rey valued her space. When she was ready to talk, she would. And he would be right there for her.

He turned back to Hux, who was smirking back at him.

“Isn’t that romantic,” he commented. “The scavenger girl and the ex-stormtrooper, now Resistance heroes––an epic romance for the ages. Only it seems rather one-sided right now.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Finn retorted. “You have no right to say anything. You wouldn’t know love if it hit you in the chest.”

Hux’s entertained look dropped from his face completely and a look of sadness flashed through his eyes before his neutral expression returned. Finn felt the same anger from earlier simmering up again, returning to the surface––the same anger Hux had felt at the mention of Kylo Ren’s name.

_Interesting,_ Finn thought. He stared at Hux, trying his best to get a read on him. The anger was not as strong, this time; he could see past it, if he just _concentrated_.

“What?” Hux said, unbothered. Unaware that although he still looked composed on the surface, his control underneath it was slipping. Unaware that Finn had the ability to see past his cold exterior, to sense what his true feelings were when he let his guard slip. He must have thought that without Rey here, he didn’t need to keep his guard up.

Finn was still new at this, still figuring out if these powers were real or just his imagination, but he felt a hollowness underneath the simmering anger. Resentment, betrayal, but most interestingly, a feeling he couldn’t put a name to. Something similar to what he felt when he thought about Rey, but sorrowful. Could this be...heartbreak?

The loud sound of metal parts clanking together interrupted his concentration.

“Brought whatever parts we had,” Jannah shouted from the boarding ramp, her voice echoing through the _Falcon_. “Could use a hand with them!”

Finn wanted to press this topic with Hux––he was finally getting somewhere. If he could push the right buttons, he might be able to get Hux to tell all; not only about Kylo Ren, but about the First Order. On the other hand, fixing the ship had to take priority right now: if they could patch up the _Falcon_ quickly, perhaps they wouldn’t have to wait until the water calmed so they could fly to the _Death Star_ instead of taking the skimmers.

“Threepio,” he said, “go get Chewie and help Jannah with the parts. I’ll start getting out some tools. You”––he pointed at Hux––“just stay here. _Quietly._ ”

Threepio did as he was told with only two complaints––a new low––and fetched Chewie while Finn turned to one of the storage compartments. He began rooting around within it and gathering whatever tools he could find, but was startled when a heavy box fell and scattered parts all over the floor, clattering loudly across the durasteel.

“You!” Jannah shouted. She’d pulled out a small vibroblade dagger from somewhere.

“Me?” Hux asked, seemingly caught between being surprised and entertained.

“You’re General Hux’s son,” Jannah said. “Your father kidnapped us. He’s your prisoner?” she asked Finn. “Or has he defected?”

Finn stood so fast he saw stars for a second. “Wait, you were a stormtrooper?”

Jannah looked him up and down, appraising him. Calculating if he would judge her. “TZ-1719. We all were. We escaped.”

“FN-2187,” he responded.

She lowered her dagger. “You too?”

Finn nodded. “I thought I was the only one.”

“No.” Jannah shook her head. “You’re not alone. During the battle of Anset Island, they ordered us to fire on civilians––we refused. We mutinied. We stole a cruiser and came here.” She took a deep breath, paused, and shook her head again. “We don’t know what it was. It was just––a feeling. We all had the same feeling that told us it wasn’t right. So we left.”

“That was the Force,” Finn said, smiling at her.

“You believe it’s real?”

“I _know_ it is.”

Jannah nodded. “Then...I believe you.” She turned back to Hux, but did not raise her dagger this time. “So what’s _he_ doing here, then?”

“He leaked some vital information to us,” Finn said. “Oddly enough, General Hux is the entire reason we’re here. And the only reason we made it here, too.”

“General? _He’s_ General Hux?”

Hux bristled. “My father passed away five years ago. _I’m_ General Hux, now.”

“We haven’t had much contact with anything beyond this moon for years now, _Armitage,_ ” Jannah said. “So forgive me for being out of the loop. And you became a mole? I wonder what your father would think of that.”

“How _dare_ you,” Hux spat.

“It’s the truth.” She finally put her dagger away, tucking it into her belt. “I imagine the late General Hux wouldn’t be pleased with his own son feeding information to destroy the First Order.”

“I’m not trying to destroy the First Order,” Hux said through gritted teeth. “I’m trying to _save_ it.”

Finn stepped between them, his back to Hux, interrupting any further argument. “Never mind him. Let’s just focus on fixing up our ship so that we can actually finish our mission? Let’s have a look at those parts you brought.”

“Right,” Jannah said. “There’s not much––I’ve brought what I could. Our ship––the cruiser we escaped in––is mostly scrapped for parts already. This is just what hasn’t been used.”

They kneeled on the floor, collecting the parts that had scattered when Jannah dropped them. Chewie was already sat quietly, sorting through another crate, while Threepio was talking at him. Finn started a pile of useful scraps and began to throw whatever was unusable back into the empty crate.

“Your cruiser,” he started, “why did you scrap it? Why didn’t you try to use it to go somewhere else?”

“We flew so far that we ran out of fuel,” she responded. “We...kind of crash-landed here. So we decided to make the most of it––there’s nobody else on this moon, in this forgotten corner of the galaxy. We knew we’d be safe.”

“And the TIE fighters? Aren’t standard cruisers supposed to carry at least five at all times?” he asked as he picked up what was definitely an old throttle lever from a TIE cockpit.

“All scrapped, except for one. For emergencies. If we desperately needed supplies, or something like that. But we’ve fared quite well for ourselves.”

Finn set down the lever. “Someone could have gone to get help and returned to get the rest of you. Why didn’t you?”

Jannah shook her head. “We were scared of triggering some failsafe. That by using the TIE, we’d somehow be tracked down and hunted by the First Order. And we all refused to take that chance. We decided we’d be happier to live out our days here than risk being taken back.”

He smiled at her. “You’re all very brave. For what it’s worth, if I’d been at Ansett Island, I would have joined you all.”

“I don’t doubt it,” she said. “And look at you––you threw yourself headfirst back into the fight. If this Babu Frik is right, you lot are the last hope for the galaxy. We’ll do everything we can to help.”

“Oh, Babu Frik!” Threepio called from the other side of the cabin. “He’s my oldest friend!”

Finn barely had time to laugh before BB-8 rolled down the corridor, beeping at him: he knew enough Binary to understand the words “where” and “Rey.”

“You’re right,” Finn said. “I haven’t seen her since she went outside to look at the landing gear.”

“Mistress Rey has been gone for approximately eleven minutes,” Threepio commented.

“Your friend, the Jedi?” Jannah asked. “I didn’t see her when I brought the parts. She wasn’t outside.”

The realisation hit Finn hard. “Oh no…”


End file.
